BILL NUMBER: SB 637	CHAPTERED  09/15/99

	CHAPTER   404
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 15, 1999
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   SEPTEMBER 15, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 26, 1999
	PASSED THE SENATE   MAY 13, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   APRIL 7, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Baca
   (Coauthors:  Senators Johannessen and Solis)
   (Coauthors:  Assembly Members Alquist, Briggs, Havice, Honda,
Knox, Kuehl, Leach, Oller, Romero, Washington, and Zettel)

                        FEBRUARY 24, 1999

   An act to amend Section 18979 of the Government Code, and to amend
Section 891 of, and to repeal Section 891 of, the Military and
Veterans Code, relating to veterans.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 637, Baca.  Veterans .
   (1) Existing law provides for the making of appointments to state
civil service positions and specifies preferences for the appointment
of disabled veterans' outreach program representatives in the
following order:  (a) a disabled veteran of the Vietnam era, (b) any
other disabled veteran, and (c) any veteran.
   This bill would revise that order of preference to (a) any
disabled veteran and (b) any veteran.  In addition, the bill would
specify that for these purposes, "disabled veteran" and "veteran"
have the same meaning as those terms are defined in a specified
provision of federal law relating to the employment and training of
veterans.
   (2) Existing law establishes various educational benefits for
dependents of veterans who were killed during military service or
totally disabled, as specified.
   Existing law entitles a veteran's dependent, who attained
eligibility for benefits while under 21 years of age, to receive
certain educational benefits until he or she attains the age of 27
years or until the training is no longer needed, whichever occurs
first.  Existing law excludes dependent widows from this limitation.
Existing law, which is to be repealed on January 1, 2000, also
excludes a veteran's spouse from this limitation.
   This bill would delete the January 1, 2000, repeal date regarding
a veteran's spouse, thereby excluding for an indefinite period a
veteran's spouse from the above limitation for educational benefits.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 18979 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
   18979.  (a) In making appointments to positions performing the
duties of disabled veterans' outreach program representatives in the
disabled veterans' outreach program or successor program of the
Employment Development Department, appointments shall be made in the
following order of preference:
   (1) Any disabled veteran.
   (2) Any veteran.
   (b) For the purposes of this section, "disabled veteran" and
"veteran" have the same meaning as those terms are defined in Section
4211 of Title 38 of the United States Code.
   (c) A person who does not meet the criteria specified in
subdivision (a) shall not be appointed to the position of disabled
veterans' outreach program representative.
  SEC. 2.  Section 891 of the Military and Veterans Code, as amended
by Section 1 of Chapter 822 of the Statutes of 1996, is amended to
read:
   891.  (a) A dependent of a veteran applying for aid under this
article shall be over 14 years of age or shall have entered the ninth
grade, and shall be a native of or shall have lived in this state
for five of the nine years immediately preceding the date that the
application is filed.
   (b) Any dependent of a veteran who has attained eligibility
pursuant to this article while under 21 years of age may continue to
receive the benefits of this article until the needed training is
completed or until he or she attains the age of 27 years, whatever
first occurs.
   (c) The eligibility limitations of subdivision (b) shall not apply
to the spouse or dependent widow of a veteran.  However, the spouse
or dependent widow of a veteran shall be limited to not more than 48
months, of full-time training, or the equivalent thereof in part-time
training.
   (d) Notwithstanding the eligibility limitations of subdivision
(b), a dependent who has honorably served in the Armed Forces of the
United States may be granted an extension of training through the age
of 30 years.
   (e) The eligibility limitations of subdivisions (a) and (b) shall
not apply to the dependent of a veteran as defined in paragraph (4)
of subdivision (a) of Section 890.
  SEC. 3.  Section 891 of the Military and Veterans Code, as added by
Section 2 of Chapter 822 of the Statutes of 1996, is repealed.

